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SBA disses DAS and small cells, preferring the macro site tower business for growth

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

Business relationships have an average shelf life of less than five years primarily because there is a lack of cohesiveness in shared visions. Tower owner SBA Communications and ExteNet Systems, a neutral host provider with some of the most profitable DAS locations in America, fit that model and decided to call it quits after five years, even though they seemed to …

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Iconic Sutro tower’s history is provided with suppositions of ’60s backroom politics and collusion

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

If the legendary Mount Sutro broadcast tower in San Francisco was being proposed today it is unlikely that it would have much of a chance for approval as residents would mobilize in force to let city commissioners know of their concerns through open meetings and social media. But in the 1960s San Francisco had really bad television reception and perhaps …

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Lawsuit win sees contractor’s claim doubled and ownership of 32 towers up for grabs

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

A court decision requiring the owners of tower consolidator Horizon Towers of Marblehead, Mass. to have 32 of their towers “liquidated and distributed or otherwise used to satisfy the creditors of debtor Eastern Towers, Inc.,” also awarded Timberline Construction of Canton double its owed $264,774 for new site builds due to an unfair or deceptive act. The open market will …

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200-plus tower deal floats Vertical Bridge to 5th largest U.S. tower owner

In Vendor News by Wireless Estimator

CiG Wireless Corp., a leading owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure in the U.S. has announced the signing of an agreement to be acquired by an affiliate of Vertical Bridge Holdings, LLC, a wireless communication towers company. Vertical Bridge is acquiring the company’s tower assets, including a geographically diverse group of more than 200 tower sites, in a transaction …

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Climbing higher for techs will not be possible in Google’s grand plan

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

Although Google is currently developing wireless service plans that will prohibit tower technicians from climbing to maintain the transceivers – because they’ll be at an elevation between 23,000 and 65,000 feet in the stratosphere – this week’s announcement that the company intends to offer MVNO wireless connectivity to customers in the U.S. will also exclude techs from working on Google-owned …

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Competitive spirit can be cutthroat in leasehold ground wars of towercos

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

Although the nation’s major tower owners present a public face of spirited friendly competition and collective initiatives to ensure worker safety, when it comes to protecting their interests it can be a no holds barred battle between them to keep their most valuable assets, their long-term leases. One clash got so nasty that the counter-complainant wanted a leasehold aggregator’s executives …

Crown is exploring sale of its Australian towers and settling in the US

In Vendor News by Wireless Estimator

Crown Castle International Corp. announced today that it plans to explore the potential sale of its Australian subsidiary (CCAL). “In light of recent unsolicited offers we have received for our interest in CCAL, we have determined that fully exploring the options available to us will ensure the best long-term results for our shareholders,” stated W. Ben Moreland, Crown Castle’s President …

ATC leads slightly over Crown with their $5 billion 11,324 Verizon tower deal

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

American Tower Corporation today announced that it has been the successful suitor in acquiring the rights to approximately 11,324 wireless communications towers and purchase approximately 165 additional towers from Verizon Communications, Inc. for $5.056 billion. Under the agreement, American Tower will have the exclusive right to lease and operate the Verizon towers for a weighted average term of approximately 28 …

Varied opinions surface regarding Grain’s nTelos tower buy for $41 million

In Featured News by Wireless Estimator

Although conversations at a Florida Wireless Association networking social of over 200 attendees last night ranged from carrier cap ex expenditures to planned business expansions of a number of key players, one frequent topic was Sarasota Fla.-based Grain Management’s purchase this week of 103 nTelos Wireless’ cell towers for $41 million. However, opinions differed regarding whether the $398,000 per-tower-deal made …

Vertical Bridge picks up iHeartMedia’s towers for $400 million

In Vendor News by Wireless Estimator

iHeartMedia today announced a deal to sell an undisclosed group of its radio towers to tower owner Vertical Bridge for up to $400 million. The broadcaster will continue to use the towers in a lease arrangement after the purchase closes, which is expected in the first quarter of 2015. iHeartMedia says the sale will help optimize its balance sheet and maximize …